Ferrari’s handling of team orders has become a potentially decisive issue in the 2026 Formula 1 title fight, with former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner arguing that Lewis Hamilton should now be prioritised over Charles Leclerc when championship interests require it. After the tension between Ferrari’s drivers at the Dutch Grand Prix, Steiner believes the Maranello team can no longer afford to make those decisions reactively.
Hamilton currently has the stronger championship position of the two Ferrari drivers, and Steiner’s argument is based on maximising the points available to the contender with the better realistic chance of winning the drivers’ title. In his view, that does not require Ferrari to permanently demote Leclerc, but it does mean establishing a clear framework before another decisive on-track situation develops.
Why Ferrari team orders are now under scrutiny
Steiner believes team orders should be agreed in advance rather than introduced in the middle of a race, when drivers and engineers are already dealing with strategy, traffic and changing competitive circumstances. His position is that Ferrari should decide beforehand how it will act if one driver is better placed in the championship.
On the present situation, Steiner considers Hamilton to be that driver. He questioned whether Leclerc remains in a realistic position to win the world championship and pointed to Hamilton being ahead as the reason Ferrari should focus on the seven-time world champion when a choice between the two becomes necessary.
That view adds to the wider debate over Ferrari’s driver management. Former Scuderia engineer Rob Smedley has also argued that Ferrari should back Lewis Hamilton when required, placing further attention on how the team balances individual race results against the larger championship objective.
Dutch GP tension sharpened the Hamilton-Leclerc debate
The issue became more visible at Zandvoort. During the Dutch Grand Prix, Hamilton closed on Leclerc with fresher tyres and stronger pace, creating a situation in which the British driver wanted Ferrari to intervene quickly so he would not lose time behind his team-mate.
Ferrari did not make an immediate call, and Hamilton expressed his frustration over the radio before the situation was eventually resolved. The episode became part of the wider Dutch GP review facing Frederic Vasseur and Ferrari after a weekend in which strategic execution came under scrutiny.
For Steiner, the lesson is that Ferrari should avoid reaching the same type of decision without a pre-agreed policy. If championship circumstances clearly favour one driver, he believes the team needs to know in advance how positions will be managed rather than attempting to settle the hierarchy during the race itself.
Mercedes offered a contrasting approach at Zandvoort
The Ferrari situation also stood out because Mercedes acted more decisively with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli at the same Grand Prix. Mercedes swapped its drivers when the difference in pace and tyre condition made a change useful, allowing the faster car to continue without being delayed by an internal fight.
That comparison sharpened the focus on Ferrari’s hesitation. The Mercedes Dutch GP strategy generated its own debate, but the speed of the decision demonstrated a clearer operational approach to managing two cars when their circumstances differed.
Steiner puts responsibility on Frederic Vasseur
Steiner’s central argument is that if only one Ferrari driver has a realistic opportunity to win the championship, the team should support the one with the better chance. At this stage, he believes that driver is Lewis Hamilton.
Crucially, Steiner does not frame such a decision as a permanent judgement against Leclerc. Instead, he sees it as a championship-driven response to the standings, with priority determined by which driver can best convert Ferrari’s opportunities into a title challenge. Charles Leclerc would therefore remain free to pursue his own results unless the championship situation required the Scuderia to intervene.
Steiner also placed responsibility for managing that balance firmly with Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur. In his assessment, it is Vasseur’s responsibility to determine how the team handles situations in which Hamilton and Leclerc have competing race interests but different championship priorities.
With plenty of the 2026 season still to run, Ferrari may not need a rigid number-one and number-two structure at every Grand Prix. Steiner’s warning is instead about preparation: the team should have a clear policy ready before another strategic flashpoint emerges. As the title fight develops, those decisions could determine whether Ferrari protects its strongest championship opportunity or allows valuable points to be lost through hesitation.
